


Antioch

by isshotaro



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Epic, Historic, Hwang Hyunjin/ Yang Jeongin, Hyunjin and JeongIn fall in love in an unusual way, Just a historical novel, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Middle Ages, Romance, hyunin, stray kids - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:07:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27263224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isshotaro/pseuds/isshotaro
Summary: [XIII century, Low Middle Ages]Years after the beginning of the crusades, the Order of the Knights Templar reached its peak and managed to spread more and more its knowledge and its faith in Christianity, thus converting legions of peasants to follow their religion. But, in view of such power and ambition, the papacy chooses to convince its knights to set out towards Italian lands and to further increase their areas of dominion.This becomes the beginning of one of the most important missions for Marshal Hwang, who has just assumed this post and has the role of leading the knights in battle. The man believes he is prepared for any battle that needs to be fought, he just doesn't count on finding a young boy on one of his expeditions and end up not having to face thousands of armed knights, but his principles that would put him to the test. belief and make you question how far your religion was just.
Relationships: And another that is revealed throughout history., Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	Antioch

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting on this site and I am very insane with the commitment that this story will have. I love all the romance developed in the history very much and I hope you like it too. Have a good reading and thanks in advance!

**Prologue**

> _“For the Almighty God, being sovereignly good, would never let any evil exist in his works if he were not powerful and good enough to bring about the good of the evil itself."_   
>  _Saint Augustine_

**[13th century, Low Middle Ages, Southern Sicily, Autumn]**

The troops of the Grand Master Christopher were preparing to march southwards, in order to arrive before dusk in the province of Messina, in search of the commune of Antillo. They had arrived in the region a few days ago, coming from afar with their huge fleet and bringing with them only the conviction that they were capable of fulfilling the mission they had been given.

The red cross, stamped on the white mantle they wore, evidenced the fact that they were Knights Templar and served the Order of the Templars, being subordinate to the Pope and faithful to the belief in God, having the obligation to take the word of Christ and convert the peasants to Christianity, and may, therefore, increase the number of loyal knights in his troops. The Order had been founded shortly after the 1096 crusade, having, at the time, the main purpose of protecting Christians who were on pilgrimage back to Jerusalem. Over the years, the Order has become a foundation in charge of taking Christianity to other regions, further spreading the religion of which they were both creditors.

The Templars were rude and violent warriors on the battlefield and showed mercy only when prostrated If kneeling in some chapel, praying to the God they believed in. They were feared by all those who were enemies of Christ, taking to the stake those who blasphemed or committed any crime before the king. The Templar knights were humble, devout and obedient, still taking a vow of chastity. Most of them abandoned any connection with the past, leading an austere life and without family ties. They were not afraid to die in battle or to sacrifice their own lives, fighting to the end and remaining believers in the word of God. Had, still, a great squad, with riders, plus bravíssimos warriors on the ground, were Eximios browsers. In this way, they could travel long distances and negotiate with several nations, using the troops that came on firm ground to carry the necessary subsidies.

* * *

That morning, the knights woke up early and dressed appropriately, gradually settling on the benches arranged around the huge table that occupied the main hall. It would be their last day on Italian soil and consequently the last day on which they would head to that monastery. They had found the place on the first day of the expedition, using it as a shelter. It was an old monastery, located in a slightly hilly area and surrounded by trees. The monks who resided there seemed to have preserved the place for a long time and spent fervent hours of their days there. However, the way they disappeared from the place, leaving their robes lying around and valuables scattered on the floor, indicated that they must have been forced to flee. Since that day, the Templars took their place, naming it Templar Time for as long as they stayed in Italy. They would have to leave the place in a few days, but at least they were comfortable and had enough space for the huge troop.

When everyone was finally seated at the table, the Grand Master raised the minimally body, attracting the attention of all the knights who were there and waiting for an announcement coming, yearning, thus, hear beautiful words that would encourage to continue firm in their mission.

“My brothers, after long days your journey is finally over. Tomorrow, in the morning, we will return to our lands and be able to show our people how powerful the word of God is. They will see the greatness of our deeds and the number of believers who have converted to Christianity. Therefore, do not fear what lies ahead and do not fail. Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini tuo da gloriam. ”, he finished his speech calmly and looked at each of the men sitting at the table, waiting for them to chant the motto of the Templars.

“Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini tuo da gloriam”, they repeated fervently, flooding the main hall with the sound of their voices and making the echo spread through the rooms in the background, an action that made the Grand Master smile at his brothers and immediately after signaling for them to start eating again, looking away only when he heard the voice of his seneschal calling him.

“My master, I fear that the lands to the south have been attacked at night or taken over by one of the enemy peoples. We have not received any signal from the commander responsible for the region and for days I have not seen the presence of smoke coming from them”, he whispered, preventing any of the other horsemen from hearing and making a splash at such a revelation.

"Have you tried to communicate with the commander all this time?", he asked calmly, dropping the silverware he was holding and cleaning the mantle he wore, looking seriously at Changbin and maintaining his imposing posture.

Christopher knew that such news was indeed alarming and could test the veracity of the Templars' power. He felt he had the right not to allow that commune to be taken, as this would cause the loss of possible believers that they would have and who could join the Order in the future. It was out of the question to lose those lands to a small group of enemies.

"All the letters from our messengers have been intercepted and the soldiers we sent to keep an eye on the region have not returned until today," replied the marshal dismissively, rising from his chair on the left side of the grand master and pushing the furniture with his foot.

“This is alarming, my master. We will lose the chance to convert an entire commune to our faith, or worse, they could be killed and enslaved by looters”, pointed out Changbin, worried, and accompanied Hyunjin as he also rose from his chair, differing from him to what only he arranged his posture correctly when he finished getting up.

“Should I organize the troops, Grand Master? ”, Asked the marshal seriously and arranged the sharp sword in the scabbard attached to his pants, waiting for the answer or final order from his master.

"I want you to prepare the men at their posts and ask them to feed the horses, Marshal Hwang. We leave when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky, exactly at noon”, he replied, putting an end to the conversation, acting again in a very subtle and natural way so that the other knights would not know the real whereabouts of the situation in which they found themselves.

Seneschal Changbin, after the grandmaster's speech, walked away from the table calmly and waited for the knights to finish eating, while the marshal just headed out the door, going to meet the gunsmith Minho and the blacksmith Jisung, that were near a small improvised forge.

Hyunjin, as he approached the forge, observed the way the two men present there smiled at each other and worked happily, laughing when their hands collided during any of the processes. For a second, the thought that they were a couple ran through Hwang's mind, forcing him to shake his head and ward off thoughts.

_I wouldn't bother you at all if that was true._

* * *

Later, when the sun touched the highest point in the sky, the troops were perfectly positioned. The front line was made up of ten horizontal ranks, each with ten horsemen wielding spears, while the two horsemen at the ends of the first row carried a mast with the flag bearing the symbol of the Templars. Farther back were the Grand Master, the Seneschal and the Marshal, mounted on white horses and being escorted by two smaller groups, each positioned on one side and being guided by a turcoplier. Finally, there were rows similar to the front line, with the only exception that the horsemen were not on horseback and were guided by two deputy marshals.

They started the long march towards the south, sparing no effort so that they could arrive within the stipulated time. The paths were steep and tortuous, making their trajectory difficult and forcing them to stop several times to check the horses. As they moved away from the mountainous region, they saw long, straight fields, giving them an advantage so they could march and ride faster, thus replacing the time lost in crossing the declining stretches.

The sun was hot — extremely hot —, one of the main characteristics of the season they were in. The dry and hot climate made the riders feel their skin burn with heat and the thirst for some liquid to take them, but there was not a drop of water in the canteens they carried. They were in the middle of incessantly dry rye fields and saw no commune to the south, making them check the compasses several times, thinking they might have missed the path.

They continued to march through the fields, faced with horrific scenes of dead and decayed bodies lying on the dry soil and lawn. Ahead, a body caught their attention for being dressed in a white cloak. As they approached, one of the turcopliers pushed the body with the tip of the sword, leaving the design of the red cross stamped on the back visible to all the other horsemen.

“One of our messengers. ”, the seneschal whispered, trying to maintain his composure, even though since the morning of that day he was already suspicious of the real whereabouts of the knight brothers who had been sent to guard the area near the commune.

The Grand Master took a deep breath and maintained his serious stance in front of the other horsemen. He could not weaken and appear affected to his brothers, he should be a strong and centered leader, never being affected so easily by events like that. Serenely, he raised his hand in a gesture for everyone to be silent and turned to them.

“I know that sadness and fear torment your hearts, my brothers. We don't know the enemies we will face and we don't even know their tactics, but unlike them, we have God on our side, and He will protect them from us. Our souls are protected by the armor of faith, while our bodies are protected by the steel armor. We have double protection, so we should not fear our fears or the other soldiers. "He drew his sword and raised it over his head, bathing the blade in the rays of the sun and making the weapon shine in the eyes of the knights.

The knight brothers accompanied the master, raising their swords and masts. They sang their motto in chorus and knelt around the body of the deceased knight, praying and praying for him, in silent requests that he rest in peace and be happy beside God.

They continued their journey after that, staying in place and prepared in the event of an enemy ambush. They were attentive to all the sounds and the smallest movements around them, making them quickly notice when the tall and robust walls of Antillo commune appeared before their eyes.

The Grand Master signaled his brothers to march slowly and then lowered the horse's reins, causing the animal to slow down at the trot until it finally stopped. Seneschal Changbin and Marshal Hwang followed Christopher's action, signaling the other horsemen to stop their horses as well. The sound of neighing spread through the area near the gates, attracting the attention of some peasants who were inside the commune.

"Should I guide our knight brothers, my master?", the marshal asked Grandmaster Christopher, receiving a positive nod and a minimal gesture with the Master's hand.

Hyunjin took the reins of his horse and guided the animal among the horsemen, making them leave little by little and give way to pass shortly after accompanying the marshal. They entered through the main gate of the commune, entering the small village and looking inside. Total silence was established, leaving the brothers even more attentive to the minimum movements and sounds.

"Keep quiet and keep the standard formation.", whispered the Marshal, hearing the order passed by the submarshals to the subtropics and soon a sign of agreement was made by them.

Hyunjin drew his sword, smiling with satisfaction when he saw that his order had been carried out. Everyone knew that in some dangerous situation or in times of war the marshal was the highest authority on the field, and so there was no brotherly knight who dared to defy his orders. Everyone knew the man's strength and splendid ability, although he was extremely young compared to the other Templars.

Hyunjin was born in a commune in East Asia and helped his parents take care of the planting, animals and harvesting in the home of a noble family. Their family was a slave to those nobles because of a debt contracted by their father and they lived with what was left, eating leftovers, wearing rags like clothes and being forced to pay heavy taxes. Hyunjin, even though he came from a poor family, yearned to become a Templar knight when he reached the age of majority, and for that he asked his father to teach him how to wield a sword and, when he had time, spent hours trying to memorize the Templar motto, even if you had difficulty pronouncing words that were in a language other than your own.

At the age of ten, the commune where he lived with his family suffered an invasion by the Mongol peoples, who intended to cross that region and reach Russia, sparing no destruction and chaos wherever they went. Few survived the invasion, and the survivors were forced to flee to distant lands, abandoning everything they had left behind and not even thinking about returning one day. Hyunjin lost his parents that day and, with nowhere to go, allowed the family of nobles he served to take him away. He later discovered that the reason for this action was related to the fact that they lost their son during the invasion. Hwang never knew why they chose you soon to become his new son, however, he never questioned the choice, as he feared he would continue his life as a slave.

In a short time, he learned to read and write in several languages, taking private lessons in etiquette, posture and riding, as well as lessons on how to handle a sword correctly. He had full encouragement from his new parents to join the Order, and it was not long before the bishop of the fief where they lived admitted his entry to the Templars. Hyunjin then had to abstain from meat on Wednesdays, swear to live in chastity and poverty and promise obedience to the temple master. His initiation into the Order took place peacefully, being carried out in a religious ceremony with a priest belonging to the Order of the Templars.

That day, Hwang abandoned the noble life he had achieved, going to live with the Templar brothers and striving to never break the rules, after all he knew all of them thanks to all the study he had done on the subject before. He trained day after day, being faithful to Christianity and obedient to his master, soon taking up one of the highest positions and becoming a marshal for Grandmaster Christopher's troops.

The horsemen moved again, maintaining silence and arriving at the main square of the commune, facing the deplorable state of the place. The houses were destroyed and with burn marks, there were mutilated bodies scattered on the floor and small spots where the fire was still spreading. Some peasants looked out of the windows of the houses that were still intact, but soon hid in fear when they saw the knights, fearing that they would be attacked again.

“Deputy Marshal Joseph, inform Grandmaster Christopher and Seneschal Changbin about the current state of the municipality of Antillo. Ask them to send more gentlemen to help with the search. ”, he signaled to the sub-marshal, having his request accepted and soon seeing the man walk away in quick rides.

Hwang quickly began to communicate what each of his fellow knights present should do, dividing them between exploration groups and watch groups. They needed to be on the lookout, as the enemies could still be around, or worse, they could still be ambushing the Templars.

It took a few minutes for the grand master and seneschal to arrive, having a terrifying view of the state of the commune and its peasants, realizing the great power of the enemies who had attacked that people. The peasants, once again hearing the neighing of horses, looked out the windows again, surprised to see a Templar Grand Master standing in the central square with his knights. Gradually, they began to leave their homes, having the courage to see that it was not an enemy, but the hero they had longed for.

“Dear farmers, know the fear they feel after they attacked their lands and destroyeds, though not fear the enemy. We came to save them and lead them under the command of the omnipotent God, who does not let his children leave in vain. He will guide each of you and remove all the insecurity and fear present in your hearts, saving you, catechizing you and purifying you. Let Him help you; just be faithful to His word. ”, at the end of his sentence, the knights who held the flags with the Red Cross approached the Grand Master and the raised, causing the site to be filled with palms and excitement of hiccups peasants, whispering and thanked for their prayers were heard.

One by one, the peasants approached, asking questions to the master of the Templars and seeking answers. They were curious about everything and wanted to know more about the religion that arrived in their lands. Christopher responded calmly and lovingly to everyone, waiting for the right moment to order his horsemen to begin their search for peasants who might be injured or trapped in the wreckage. Within minutes, the troops spread across the commune, beginning exploration. The leader of the exploration troops would be Marshal Hwang, as the grand master and seneschal would look for the commune commander in search of concrete answers about who could be the cause of such devastation.


End file.
